roonee There’s plenty of bookish travel in Venice and it’s a great place for bookworms and literary enthusiasts in general. Not only can you retrace the steps of countless literary characters and prolific authors, but you can enjoy the many bookshops spread out over the city, as well as the notorious Alta Acqua Libreria.
The Streets of Venice
Venice’s main trade is tourism, and the city welcomes millions of tourists from all over the world every year. Thanks to the thriving tourism industry, the bookshops in Venice cater to a wide range of languages and interests. You’ll always be able to find guides to the city, in addition to plenty of reading on the fascinating history of Venice.
Bookshops are aplenty and you’ll never have to look hard to find one. Some districts are more bookish than others, and they boast literary themed gifts and trinkets in the plentiful gift shops.
Alta Acqua Libreria – The ultimate bookish travel in Venice
Venice’s most famous bookish destination is Alta Acqua Libreria which has become a popular tourist destination. This book shop is full of every kind of book imaginable, and you’ll find tomes piled from floor to ceiling. A one way system operates around the shop due to limited space between books, and you’ll pass gondolas, bathtubs, and rowboats full of books as you filter your way to the back of the shop. At the back, there are several small outdoor spaces that make great photo opportunities. One, is the Alta Acqua Libreria gondola which is parked up in a way such that tourists can freely hop on and off to get a few photos. The other is a staircase made of old books – it’s quite a sight! If you want to take your time then it’s advisable to arrive early in the day, as the shop gets very busy and you’ll be ushered up and down the book steps very quickly for your ‘one photo only’ at peak times!
Another charming attribute of the Alta Acqua Libreria is the love of cats. You’ll notice plenty of cat-themed books and trinkets as you wander round, and if you’re lucky you may even see the bookshop cat. There are small donation stations around the shop where you can put your loose change towards cat food!
Ooh I love the sound of Alta Acqua Libreria! Venice has been on my list for such a long time now so when I do visit I’ll have to make a visit. The staircase made of books sounds extraordinary and as a huge cat person I love that they’re so into cats! Thank you so much for sharing x